A "donker" beer, brewed in 1999 (mine was). A dark brown brew. Very rich and malty with a port-like finish. Sweet bliss in a bottle with a shelf life of over 25 years. One of my favourite of the sweet dark beers that I tried when in Belgium (March 2000).

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Bottle dated 2011. Pours a dark mahogany brown with a thin light khaki head that dissipates to patches, with light lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, plums, dates, dark cherries, light oxidation. Flavor follows with sweet caramel malt, candi syrup, plums, dates, raisins and a hint of cherries and mild oxidation. Medium to heavy bodied with moderate carbonation. A sweet, but full flavored quad with all the dark fruit flavors expected. Rich enough to border on an aperitif. This has aged gracefully with just a touch of oxidation that melds well with the fruit and malt. ABV well covered. A great, classic tasting quadrupel.

330 mL bottle from the LCBO; best before Sept 2021 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a foreboding, dark chestnut-brown colour with brick red highlights; at first it appears utterly impenetrable to light, but holding it up to a lamp reveals that the liquid is actually transparent. One finger of smooth, khaki-tinged foam floats atop the surface initially, receding gradually over the next ten minutes or so. The eventual remnants include a creamy collar and cap about half a centimetre high, as well as a nice, thick coating of lace. Each sniff is positively loaded with molasses, caramelized sugars and dark fruits, including fig, date, raisin and prune. The alcohol is also noticeable, but quite well-integrated; the bouquet almost seems to take on the character of sherry or amaretto as it warms.

A delicious strong dark ale - as has already been noted on countless occasions, it is indeed quite saccharine, but despite this fact, I find it to be neither cloying nor tiresome - just delectably rich. Caramelized sugar and treacle are steady background presences, as are vinous notes of red grape and raisin. Dates, figs, black cherries and prunes come to the forefront by mid-sip, giving it a rather fruitcake-like vibe, with subtle hints of herbal licorice root, spice and cola. Finishes with a slight nuttiness, with more of that boozy, sherry-like note that I picked up in the aroma lingering into the sweet aftertaste. On the lighter side of full-bodied, with soft carbonation featuring tiny, fine bubbles that gently agitate the surface of the tongue. A truly satisfying beer to sip and contemplate; I'd say that this 11 oz serving is just about the perfect amount for one person.

Final Grade: 4.46, an A grade. I'll admit that I had my doubts going into this one - I've heard mixed opinions about it in the past - but in my opinion, Kasteel Donker is an absolutely fantastic quadrupel, and easily one of the best Belgian beers I've tried in months. The hefty 11% abv beautifully harmonizes with the commanding, relentless malt bill and its sweet, fruity flavours, while hints of fortified wine and nutty liqueur only add further to the cohesive complexity of this masterpiece. Glad I had the foresight to pick this one for my 1500th review on BA - it's always nice to celebrate that sort of milestone with a memorable brew like this.

A: Pours an opaque, though slightly hazy extremely dark reddish amber in color with light amounts of active visible carbonation along the edges of the glass and some faint cola brown highlights. The beer has a finger tall foamy tan head that reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

T: Upfront there is a moderate flavor of dark malts with a light to moderate amount of dark Belgian candi sugar sweetness. That is followed by moderate to strong flavors of dark fruits (raisin and plum) and just a hint of spices. Hints of cherry sweetness in the background. Just a hint of bitterness in the finish but it fades pretty quickly leaving a moderate amount of lingering cloying sweetness.

I am very impressed with how good this beer is. In a nutshell, it's cotton-candy sweet, fruity tart, spicy warm, and marshmellow textured. It's wonderful from sip to finish. A hearty malt / candy sweetness blends with nuts, figs, dates, and a hint of chocolate. Balanced with aged hops and yeasty esters bring out clove and pepperyness. Full and richly textured without a hint of astringency or heat. Finishes very clean despite so many complex flavors, and a bit dry. This beer ranks up there with the Rocheforts and Abt 12s of the world.

Poured at cellar temperature from a 33cl bottle (Best By: May 2022...packaged 30 May 2017)into the signature, Kasteel stemmed goblet.

A - An aggressive pour yelids a beer that is dark mahogany in color but when set against light, it is more of a deep, ruby red. The head only amounted to 1-finger kahki colored head with little retention. Although the 11% ABV would tend to stiffle head, I have seen other Belgians of this strength create massive tops that last indefinitely. Knowing that this beer does NOT go through referementation in the bottle, the lack of head is understandable and should be a reason that Van Honsebrouck reconsiders using bottle refermentation for ALL of their beers. (4.25)

S - The aroma is a lovely bouquet that sings Quadruple. Caramel, Raisin, Plum, Banana and a hint of Chocolate are all present. Even when rising above cellar temperature, there is absolutely no alcohol in the nose. (5.0)

T - It is a beautiful Quadruple-style ale with all of the trimmings. It has all of the aromas in the nose with a nice, lingering milk chocolate finish. This is an ideal digestif beer on its own or with a rich chocolate or custard-based dessert. (4.75)

M - Medium-Full mouthfeel with a delicate and creamy carbonation which finishes surprisingly dry. Regardless of temperature, the alcohol remains hidden throughout making this dangerously drinkable. However, the pithy flavors and relatively hefty body keep this very much a degustation beer. (4.75)

O - Although the brewery thinks otherwise, Kasteel Donker would benefit from bottle refermentation (in addition to the already 3-week lagering time). Considering the 6.50Euro price for a 4-Pack (in a grocery store), it is an absolute bargain. However, when you see the $20+USD price tag in The States, I think other options exist that are a bit better. This is a well made beer with great consistency but if I am going to spend this type of money, I prefer Kasteel Barista Chocolate Quad. (4.25)

Light medium body with a smooth texture. Light carbonation with just a touch of effervescence in the middle and finish.

The flavor profile is almost world class. Reasonable intensity, quite complex and very well balanced. The only flaws are the body is a bit light and the alcohol is not quite covered. The fruits of the nose predominate with sweetness upfront that flows through plum, fig and raisin. The middle brings an alcohol note that intensifies into the finish and also provides a bit of heat. The flavor shifts from the sweet dark fruits noted earlier into a prune that is slightly astringent. Prune and alcohol linger.

Pours a darker shade of borwn with a real nice sticky head thats seems to dissapte quickly,great aroma of raisins and light chocolate with some definent alcohol notes.The raisin seems to be the dominant flavor I get with some syrupy flavors as well.A touch of nuttiness and alcohol makes this a nice warmer,I have alot of bottle to drink yet wish me luck.

Pours a syrupy dark brown to near black, very small head that diminishes to a rather dense short layers of off-white foam. Light lacing.

Lots of dark fruit and hints of alcohol. Heavy sweet malts come to mind as you inhale.

I was a bit surprised by the sweetness that envelops the tongue on the first swig. I know this is considered a strong dark ale but it seemed more like a very sweet barley wine. Very sweet and heavy in the mouth, with the strong flavor of fig most present.

This is quite a brew. Rather a bit syrupy for my taste but it doesn't necessarily taste bad. As for the style of a strong dark Belgian ale, I suppose, but it's closer to cough syrup. I did enjoy it overall though and if you are feeling adventurous, give it a shot.

750ml bottle, bottled on 070924 (9/24/07?). Pours a murky brown with a small head that quickly goes to a tiny collar.

The aroma is subdued. It has some sweet caramel and toffee malts, some oak, a little dark fruit, and a bit of oxidization and alcohol.

The flavor is very sweet sugary malts and molasses, a little cola and fruit with a big sugary finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and syrupy.

Overall, this is way overly sweet. It's a bit of a treacly mess. As it warms and I get accustomed to the sweetness a little nutty malt and banana come out. So there's some complexity, but the sweetness overwhelms everything and makes it rather unpleasant.

From a growler purchased at Half Time, pours dark mahogony, seems to be pretty low in carbonation, mellow head, with just minor lacing observed. Nose is nicely glowing with cola, vanilla, bourbon and spice. Strong late night sipper kind of brew. Plenty of dark candi sugars, cola, alcohol, complexity etc to please all the strong beer/quad lovers out there. Character, boldness obviously evident, well worth a try if you like the style, not for everybody, but certaintly for me! A treat and in nice shape on tap/growler.